


The End of Everything

by knightofsuperior



Category: Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball Z, 英雄伝説VI 空の軌跡 | The Legend of Heroes: Sora no Kiseki (Video Games)
Genre: Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-01 19:01:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15149759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knightofsuperior/pseuds/knightofsuperior
Summary: A slight change brings entirely new competitors into the first-ever Tournament of Power. What strange encounters lie in wait in the World of Void, and who will survive until the final round? More importantly, what other factors-or factions-are at play as the universes spiral towards their inevitable demise?(It's the Tournament of Power from Dragon Ball Super, but with some new combatants and some timeline/universe/dimension shifting and adjustments. More tags will be added as more universes are introduced, but for your sanity and mine, the universes will be limited.)[ON HIATUS]





	1. God of Destruction

It was the end of everything.

They’d done all they could. They made it to the furthest reaches of the underground ruins, defeated every foe that stood in their path to Richard and his madness, only to come across a nigh unstoppable mechanical menace released by the man’s pride: the Ring Guardians. It was a harrowing battle, unlike any they’d faced before. Every attack they made, every strike they took, was dealt back tenfold. 

As hard as they tried, nothing seemed to work. Even when they finally took the majority of the Guardians down, the last one standing transformed into an even more ungodly monstrosity. There wasn’t much more that anyone could take. Olivier had fallen, and Kloe couldn’t bring him out of his unconscious state with the constant barrage she was facing. Joshua was fighting as hard as he could, but he and Estelle had to stop attacking the robot constantly to pull each other out of the fire. Their foe appeared prime to act in this chaotic frenzy, reading what seemed to be a final strike.

They needed a miracle.

Which is why when a dazzling pillar of light struck the automaton, Estelle decided she wasn’t going to complain much.

The mechanical creature roared, stumbling back, as two figures formed within the light. One was a tall, lanky shape, with a staff not unlike Estelle’s own-except significantly more ornate. As the light began to fade, she could make out a distinctive blue hue to its skin, and stark white hair. Its clothing was...unusual, a maroon robe with a large, black and white armored plate covering its upper half. Despite its unusual skin and attire, the being almost looked human.

The second figure, on the other hand, far from mirrored the first. Joshua’s first impression was that someone had managed to skin and mutate a cat, what with the pointy ears and piercing fangs protruding from the sides of its mouth. It had a similar armor to its compatriot, but with a distinct lack of a shirt and a sky-blue robe adorning its lower half. This wasn’t even going into the tail, which sashayed to and fro like a metronome.

The blue creature glanced up at the mechanical one, gracefully turning on its heel to face it. “I say, we’ve certainly come at an opportune time. Haven’t we, my lord?”

The purple creature scoffed. “If they were having so much trouble with something this pathetic, I don’t see how they’ll be of any use.”

“Blue” laughed, a haughty chuckle that reminded Kloe a little too much of a certain cousin of her’s. “Now, now, they had it on the ropes. Given time, they might have even found a way to win.”

Olivier shuddered as “Purple” scanned the four of them, with a narrowed gaze from the figure sending spine-tingling shivers into the musician’s body. “I can’t deny that they’ve made their mark...for mortals, at least.”

Estelle, finding her voice (though it made a concentrated effort to stay hidden), finally spoke. “W-who are you guys? Get out of the way! You’ll be killed!”

“Hm?” The purple creature raised what she presumed to be an eyebrow. He turned. “Oh, yes, this.” He let out a yawn, holding out a palm towards the robot. His opponent raised one of its own, charging what was sure to be a dead-on laser blast.

“Wait, stop!” Joshua shouted, attempting to move forward. As he began to fall wearily to the ground, however, the white-haired figure was in front of him. “Careful, now, you’ll need your strength.”

“But-”

“Not to worry,” the blue-skinned creature replied. “It’ll only take a moment.”

“...what will?” Kloe asked, readying her orbment array for another revival.

“Its demise,” Olivier quietly replied. 

“Huh?”

The purple creature’s eyes shone bright with a sinister glimmer. 

“Destruction.”

In the blink of an eye-not even that-the automaton was no more. A dazzling burst of purple dust flew forth from its wake, a half-finished roar echoing through the chamber.

“Well, what did I say?” The white-haired being asked with a cheerful smile.

There was a loud “thunk” from right behind the group. Only Joshua and Estelle had the energy remaining to turn around. Their eyes widened almost in unison, but their thoughts were as one.

Cassius Bright stood in horrified awe, his sword having clattered to the ground. “I-it can’t be.”

“Dad?!” Estelle cried, a mix of joy and confusion evident in her tones.

“Oh, my.” The white-haired figure scratched its chin. “I hope we didn’t interrupt any grand entrance you had planned, Cassius.”

“Cassius?” The purple creature slowly moved to face the group. “Well, well. Somebody’s certainly grown into their britches.”

Cassius turned to the purple creature. “L-Lord Beerus!” Then, the blue. “Whis!” Cassius dropped to one knee, looking straight down to the floor. Even Richard, of all people, looked upon this scene in awe. No one could make Cassius kow to them. 

Just who were these beings?

“I-it’s an honor to-” Cassius began, his breath coming in heaving, panicked bursts. “I-how did you- **_why_ ** did you-”

“Speak in complete sentences, mortal. I’m in a foul mood as it is.” Beerus scowled, holding up a hand. “Do you want to face the same fate as that rustbucket?”

“Don’t you touch him!” Estelle was on Beerus in an instant, the last vestiges of her strength forced into a devastating blow.

One which was blocked by a measly finger. Beerus glanced over to his other hand, which had just blocked a dual-strike from Joshua. “You know, you should really take after this one,” he mused to Estelle. “It’s better to strike when the enemy is distracted. Shouting your intentions doesn’t do much to prevent that. Then again, this may well be the first and last lesson I impart upon you.” In an instant, the two junior bracers were blasted back. Joshua’s blades, Estelle’s staff…

They had faded to nothing in their very grasp.

“My lord, perhaps we’re getting off on the wrong foot. After all, just look at those three.” Whis gestured to Olivier, Kloe, and Richard. “I think we’ve stunned the poor things silent.” He waved them over. “You there, the one with the violet hair! I believe you’re...Kloe, correct?”

“Y-yes, but…” Kloe took in a breath of air. Within moments, a steely look came to her eyes. “But you haven’t explained who you are. While we certainly appreciate what you’ve done for us, we need to know now: are you friend or foe?”

“That’s right,” Olivier added. “It wouldn’t do for our only knowledge of you to be your names alone. Trust is the bedrock of any growing relationship, after all”

“I think I quite like these two, my lord,” Whis said. “And the others, as well. They’ve got spunk.”

“That’s one word for it, certainly.” Beerus glared in Richard’s direction. “This one, though…” Richard’s blood ran cold. It felt as if this “lord” was staring into his very soul, piercing through whatever protective shell he had left. 

It was a fear unlike any he had faced before.

“My lord?” Whis asked. “What about him?”

“...keep an eye on him, Whis. I can’t put my finger on what...but there’s something about him that we’re going to need to confirm.”

“As you wish, my lord.” 

Estelle and Joshua attempted to pull themselves up, readying for a physical strike on the two newcomers. However, a pair of arms wrapped around the two, pulling them in close. Estelle glanced up to see the face of her father. Cassius did not have the same calm, assured look he left the two with, Joshua noticed. It was a look of sheer terror. “Dad?” Joshua asked, tenuously. “Where have you-”

“Not now, Joshua,” Cassius chided. His tone wasn’t stern or lecturing; it was far softer than that. “Not now.” He squeezed tighter, holding his children like they’d fly off if he let go.

“Do you know these people?” Estelle asked, carefully wrapping her own arms around both Cassius and Joshua both (the latter of whom quickly followed suit).

“Yes,” Cassius admitted. “I do. I don’t know what’s to come next. But I want to be here with you two, all the same.”

“Oh, stop being dramatic,” Beerus groused. “I’m not actually going to destroy any of you. You mortals take things so seriously.”

“Mortals.” The group turned to the source of the sudden interruption, Richard. His hand gripped a nearby pedestal, though Olivier and Kloe (being closer) could see the man shaking in his boots. “You keep using that word. Do you mean to imply you stand above humanity, creature?”

“Imply? Why would I imply anything?” Beerus replied, a bored droll flitting through his tone. “After all…

Is it not natural for a God to be above the mortal realm?”

The room fell silent, aside from a quiet sigh from Whis. Beerus’ attendant tapped his staff on the ground. “Well, that’s one way to drop that bombshell, my lord.”

“He asked,” Beerus mumbled.

“Hm. Well, I believe it’s time for us to pick up the rest of our little party.” 

“Wait,” Estelle asked, “Just what the hell do you mean-”

A brilliant burst of light cut her off, surrounding the room in a heavenly glow. 

As it faded away, Estelle wasn’t sure what she expected to see. Another robot, maybe? Some more Intelligence Division goons?

A lush, green landscape with lakes, waterfalls, mountains, and wide valleys was not on that shortlist.

A shriek burst out behind her. “Where are we?!” Estelle whipped around, spotting Tita-the poor girl, looking as lost as a Pom in a shopping mall-shivering in fear behind Agate, who looked just plain confused. That wasn’t an expression she’d seen all that much. Oh, if only Dorothy were here…

For their part, Professor Russell, Scherezard, and Zin all seemed to be more curious than terrified, Russell in particular gazing out at the sky in awe. “My word,” he muttered, “Pink? That’s certainly a new one…”

“Estelle, what happened?” Scherezard asked, gazing forward towards the others and Whis in particular. Off in the distance, Whis appeared to be arranging...tables? “Who is that?”

“...” Estelle offered her best possible answer-a shrug. “A god, I think?”

Zin just grinned like a madman. “Think we can kick his ass?”

“...you’re not seriously considering that.”

“Course not. I can sense his power from a mile away. The question is, can we kick his ass?”

Schera frowned, crossing her arms as she considered the possibilities. “...probably not.”

Zin nodded. “Then the question we should be asking is, whose ass does he want us to kick?”

“What makes you think-” Estelle began, before a shadow loomed over her. 

“My,” a new voice interjected, “You’re quite perceptive.” Estelle leapt up, grabbing at her staff-before remembering it no longer existed. In front of her stood a purple-skinned man, a white mohawk adorning his dome, with armor not dissimilar to Estelle’s own. “I assumed you’d immediately take us as an enemy,” he continued, “But this was a pleasant surprise.”

“‘Course,” Zin replied. “We’re Bracers. We get hired to do work. Only reason I can imagine they’d take us to...wherever we are-”

“-is to ease us into the job offer?” Estelle finished, realizing where Zin was going with this.

The purple-skinned man smiled. “Excellent! I hope your friends are as understanding as you are.”

“Accepting and understanding are two different things,” Schera added, “Mr…?”

“Oh, accept my apologies.” The man bowed, putting a hand over his heart. “I am the Supreme Kai of this universe. It is a pleasure to meet with you.”

“...what’s a Kai?” Zin asked.

“We’ll get to that.”

The sound of a loud bell rang across the plains, turning the heads of all in attendance towards Whis and Beerus. “Yoo-hoo!” Whis called out. “Everyone, gather around please! Yes, that includes you-and you,” he continued, gesturing to the very hesitant-looking Joshua and Kloe. Whis glanced at Olivier. “You there. You seem the artistic sort. Am I right?”

Olivier nodded, brushing his hair to the side. “Indeed-and my medium is that of love itself.”

Whis raised an eyebrow. “...well, can you play the piano?”

“Indeed.”

“Excellent! A nice dinner should have some musical accompaniment.”

“...dinner?” Agate asked, his silence broken as he marched towards Whis and Beerus. Tita tried to hold him back, but to no avail beyond her getting dragged along on his stride. “You take us out from one of the most dangerous places in all of Liberl, when the entire continent is at risk of a coup d'etat, and right as we’re about to put down this son-of-a-bitch,” he added, sparing a withering glare at Richard (who had the gumption to look ashamed for the briefest of moments), “For some stupid dinner?!”

“Of course not,” Beerus griped, picking at his claws from his seat in...mid-air, it seemed. “That was all his idea,” he continued, pointing to Whis. “He thought it’d make things go over easier.”

“...things?” Joshua asked. “What kind of things?” He stared straight at Whis and Beerus, an ominous tone to his words. “And don’t think of hiding anything from us.”

Whis frowned at Beerus, before turning to the group at large. “Well, if anyone deserves to get the full truth, it’d be you all.” He tapped his staff on the ground rhythmically, a hand on his chin as he appeared to mull over his words. “Well, if I had to put it in a sentence, what we mean by “things” is…the end of them.”

The group went silent, as Whis’ words hung in the air. Finally, Kloe spoke up. “The end of what, exactly?”

Beerus closed his eyes.  _ No going back now. _

He opened them, a ferocity in his next words.

“The end of everything.”


	2. Realizations and Regulations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team comes to terms with their changing circumstances and their unfortunate new lot in life. Dinner is served.

Joshua knew when he was out of his league. While Estelle made it a point to take on any enemy, no matter the power gap between them, Joshua knew when a fight was lost. It was the old gambler’s adage: know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em. 

The problem here, however, was that folding was not an option.

And Joshua had no cards to play with, other than the element of surprise.

And unfortunately for him…

“...everyone else would have that in their hand as well,” he muttered.

“You say something, Joshua?” Estelle asked, leaning on her staff. 

“Nothing. Just...thinking to myself.” Joshua looked forward, the serene sound of the waterfall soothing his nerves-though not necessarily his mind, he noted with a touch of disappointment. 

“Yeah. It’s...a lot to take in,” Estelle admitted, looking down at her feet. The crunch of the grass felt familiar, at least, to Liberl. Not like much else was here. “I mean, wow. Wow. Yesterday, I thought the biggest problem in the world was stopping Richard-and, don’t get me wrong,” she added, tapping her staff against a rock for emphasis, “It still is. But that’s the biggest problem in the world. This is...big.”

“That’s one way to put it.” Joshua sat down, lying on the grass and staring up at the sky. He was so used to the azure hues from home that the bubblegum pink and violet gradient felt unnervingly alien.

Not that the multiple moons in the sky helped that assumption much.

“You believe them, then?” he asked, turning to Estelle. “About the different universes, the Kais and the Gods? Not to mention...” He hesitated.

“The tournament?” Estelle asked.

“Yeah.” His voice went quiet, as if he were still processing his disbelief. Which, to be fair... “I didn’t expect us to get pulled into any more after Grancel, let alone one with the universe at stake.”

Estelle let out a soft hum. “It’s pretty weird, right?”

“Yeah. It’s far-fetched, but not as much as…well...” He waved aimlessly towards everything around them. “This.”

Estelle chuckled, and nodded in return. “Yeah, I do. I mean, what’s not to believe? What do they have to gain from lying about all this? They dwarf us, Joshua. We’re the small fish in a huge pond-” She paused, looking out over the water. “...say, do you think they’d let us fish here?”

Joshua blinked. 

Then, he started to laugh. 

Estelle frowned, angrily grinding one of her feet into the closest pile of dirt. “What’s so funny?!”

“We-we’re on an alien world, with the fate of existence at sake, and...you want to-” He burst into another fit of laughter.

Estelle stomped over to Joshua, holding her staff up high. “Oh, Joshua, it seems you’ve contracted some mysterious alien laughing disease. Let me administer some medicine!”

Joshua held out his hands, trying to reign in his giggles. “It’s not bad, Estelle! It’s just so...you.”

Estelle froze, her face beginning to flush red. “...pardon?”

“You’re always trying to find a bright side, no matter what…” Joshua let out a few stray laughs, wiping a tear from his eye. “It’s refreshing. And it’s really what I needed right about now.” He smiled at her. “Thanks.”

“...” Estelle lowered her staff, her eyes focused squarely on her Stregas. She faintly returned the smile. “H-hey, whatever keeps us sane here, right?”

“Right.” Joshua turned his attention over to the “dinner” that was taking place not too far in the distance. “Think we should head back?”

“Nah. I’m sure they won’t mind if we stay out a teensy bit longer.” Joshua heard a thud as Estelle fell flat on her back, arms outstretched, and eyes to the sky. “We just took down a giant robot. They can chow down all they want. I’m due for some R&R.”

Joshua smirked. “Wow, turning down free food? I’m kind of surprised.”

“Hey, I didn’t say we’d be out here forever.” Estelle grumbled. Just...a few more minutes. You know, before it all goes sideways for like...the tenth time this year.”

“Week.”

“Shut up.”

* * *

“-and so Cassius actually manages to land a hit on me, square in the face!” Whis exclaimed. “It was a real shocker, let me tell you!”

Zin grinned. “Wow, impressive. Based on what you were saying before, I thought you were going to wipe the floor with him.”

Cassius, head flat on the table, muttered something into the tablecloth. Kloe could just barely make out the words “Worst day of my life.”

“Oh, I absolutely did! But rest assured, he greatly impressed me that day,” Whis continued. “Thanks to that display, and his kind generosity-”

“All he did was give you some eggs,” Beerus snarled.

“He gave me heaven on a plate, Lord Beerus, and you thought the same!”

“My palate has become far more refined since those dreadful days.” Beerus took another bite out of his noodles, slurping them up in a noisy spray of pasta and broth. “In any case, he’s lucky he impressed us at all. I was half-prepared to destroy that miserable little planet of yours.”

“Why only half-prepared?” Tita asked, shifting nervously in her seat. “Why were you prepared at all? Destroying things...it’s nowhere near as fun as creating them!”

Beerus sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Look, kid, there has to be balance in the universe. Where some create, I destroy. And I was half-prepared because I was feeling incredibly sleepy, if you must know.”

“Lord Beerus loves his naps,” Whis confirmed, “So it’s hard for him to muster up the energy to do much of anything without a good meal.”

“Oh, so like a cat!” Tita reasoned. She quickly cowered from Beerus’s withering gaze. “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t-it’s just you look like a cat, and sound like-”

“Now, now, Tita.” Russell interjected, heaping another serving of food onto Beerus’ waiting plate. “I’m sure he’s heard that a million times before.”

“Frankly, that was the second-” Beerus shoved his fork into his food, looking around the table. “And last time anyone will do so. I’ll forgive the kid, because she clearly doesn’t know any better, but the rest of you had better not make the same mistake. Understand?”

Kloe cleared her throat. “Actually, I did have a question about that. What...species are you, exactly?”

“None of your business.”

Whis took a quick drink of his fizzy drink, wiping off the bubbly mustache it gave him. “There’s no particular name for his kind, I’m afraid. Never really seemed to find the need for one.”

“And that’s how it’ll stay,” Beerus confirmed. “You’ve been non-stop with the questions, kid. Even Cassius’ brat knew when to stop prying.”

“You’ll have to forgive me. It’s a bit of a habit of mine,” Kloe shrugged. “I’m a student. Learning is what I’ve been doing all my life. I only wished to learn more about-”

“Then you can ask Shin.” Beerus pointed towards the Supreme Kai, who was having a lively discussion with Shera off in the distance, a quiet Richard standing to the side. “I’m sure he’d be happy to fill you in. Oh, music man-” Beerus called, waving down Olivier.

The blonde paused, his last note on the grand organ Whis had provided him fading into the air. “Yes, my lord?”

“See?” Beerus grinned, clasping his hands together. “That’s the kind of respect most of you mortals sorely lack. Play me something jaunty, won’t you?”

“Jaunty? But of course, Lord Beerus.” Olivier began to play a high-paced tune, his fingers dancing across the keys as fast as lightning bolts. Agate, his food untouched, scowled.

“You know, brown-nosing isn’t the best look for you.”

“Ah, but I’m afraid you’re mistaken, my friend.” Olivier smiled, turning away from his keys to face the red-haired Bracer. “Brown-nosing would imply I’m attempting to get into good graces with Lord Beerus. I’m merely doing what he asks of me. It’s a totally different scenario. Besides, this is a party, isn’t it?”

A loud bang interrupted the music, Agate’s fists shaking on the table. “That’s what pisses me off!” He let out a heavy breath, his composure quickly returning. “We just spent the past day trying to stop a takeover of a country, Olivier. It hasn’t even been five minutes since we were trying to beat both the Intelligence Division and an ancient civilization’s guard dogs into the dirt”

“And we succeeded!” Olivier said, swiveling his chair to face Agate. “Don’t you think that deserves some celebration?”

“It would, if we were even sure it worked!” Agate stood up from his seat, storming over to the organ. He grabbed Olivier by the collar as soon as he was in range, pulling him closer. He pointed off in the distance, in Richard’s direction. “How the hell do we know that Amalthea hasn’t woken up and picked up where that bastard left off?! How are we supposed to celebrate when Grancel could very well be falling to the ground?!” 

Kloe felt her breath grow short. She had been so caught up in the novelty, the shock and surprise of all the past hour had revealed…

“Grandmother…”

Agate flinched, realizing quickly that his words weren’t just aimed towards Olivier (whether he intended that or not). He shook his head, dropping Olivier’s collar. He faced Cassius, whose dismayed look had turned to cold steel in an instant. “And you. You knew about this. You knew about all of this, from before we even met.”

“I only knew of Lord Beerus and Whis,” Cassius clarified. “I wasn’t aware that we would be-”

“-drafted into some kind of inter-universe deathmatch?!” Beerus sighed as Agate roared, waving away Whis as he began to step in between the younger man and Cassius. “This isn’t some job from the Guild, Cassius, this is-I don’t even know what this is!”

“This is a chance to protect the world we love,” Cassius began. “Don’t you want to keep it alive?”

“Of course I do! Everyone here does!” Agate let out a frustrated sigh, his left hand quickly meeting his forehead as he wiped his hair back. He looked at Tita, her expression shocked and horrified. Quietly, he muttered, “But why the hell does a kid have to get dragged into this?”

Cassius’ expression softened. “Agate-” 

Agate held up a hand. “Look. This is way past my paygrade to question, I know. But tell me, God of Destruction,” he asked, turning back to Beerus and Whis, “What do you expect to happen when you send a kid to fight in something like this?”

“That depends on your definition of kid,” Beerus replied. “Do you only mean the tiny one, or the two who fought off a giant mechanical beast?”

Agate frowned. “Joshua and Estelle...they’re strong. They can take on just about anything, as much as I can’t believe I’m saying that. But Tita-”

“I can fight too!” Tita argued, getting up out of her chair. “This isn’t any different from the invasion at Grancel! I helped there, and I can help here!”

“You did help,” Agate obliged, “But you had everyone here backing you up, defending you like you defended us. This tournament...it’s going to be filled with enemies just as powerful as that machine, if not more. If you were hurt, or worse, died-”

“Is that all you're worried about, mortal?” Beerus slurped up the remainder of his food in one fell swoop, wiping his mouth with a satisfied grin. “No one will die in this tournament unless the whole team goes down, and even that can hardly be considered death.”

“...explain,” Agate ordered.

“Fine. But, don’t presume to command a god in the future, mortal.” Beerus leaned back in his seat, eyes closed. “The one who arranged this tournament, the Omni-King, does not wish to see anyone die unnecessarily. They’re...particular about their entertainment.”

“Entertainment!?” Agate roared, hands clenched into shaking fits.

“Perhaps Lord Beerus used the wrong word, Agate,” Whis interrupted. “Rather, the Omni-King does not wish for this to be a battle to the death, or any kind of violent spectacle. He merely wishes to see the strongest warriors from across all the universes-that still exist, anyway-battle it out. It’s a simple desire, but one that can be easily misconstrued, so I understand your confusion.” He took a sip of his drink, glancing over at Tita. “For what it’s worth, I find this young lady incredibly talented. Her mechanical know-how is stunning-I presume part of it came from her grandfather, but a larger share must be her own intelligence and wit.”

Tita looked like she was about to burst, based on how wide her smile became.

Whis frowned. “That being said, I don’t think that she can be a part of the tournament for a different reason, though we can discuss this with the Omni-King and his attendants at a later time. This actually applies to all of you, which might make things difficult.”

Agate’s breathing slowed, his shoulders slumping in barely hidden relief. “Why is that?”

“Weapons and accessories are not allowed in the Tournament of Power.” Beerus replied in Whis’ stead.

“What?!” Beerus’ head turned, spotting Estelle and Joshua approaching the table. Estelle’s tone betrayed a mixture of horror and utter disbelief, as did the look on Joshua’s face. “How are we supposed to fight without our weapons, or our Orbments?!”

“That’s not my problem,” Beerus answered.

Whis gave his Lord a side-eye. “I think it is.”

“If they don’t know how to fight without weapons, it’s not my responsibility to teach them.”

“Again, I think it is.” Whis sighed. “I’m going to have to talk to the Grand Priest about this one.”

Joshua raised an eyebrow. “Grand Priest?”

“He’s administering the tournament on behalf of the Omni-King. You could consider him our direct superior, in a sense. You’ll meet him soon, at the exhibition match.”

The table fell silent once more. “...exhibition match?” Joshua asked.

“That’s right. You’ll be meeting with representatives of the various universes, and we’ll be having a few sparring matches to show the Omni-King what to look forward to-and to give you a taste of what to expect.” Whis huffed, a slightly disappointed tone to his explanation. “I do wish you’d give us all a little more credit. We’re not going to drop you right into a free-for-all without some idea of who you’re facing, or without time to train.”

“...speaking of time,” Agate piped up, “How much time has passed since we got here?”

“Well, it’s been a few hours here, but the conversion between time on this planet and your own...well, it’s been no more than a few of your seconds.”

“Fascinating,” Schera’s voice murmured from behind Estelle. Being the proud, brave Bracer she was, she didn’t jump up out of surprise-not at all.

Instead, she made a noise that sounded like a Bunnit being strangled.

Schera let out a small laugh, patting Estelle on the shoulder. “Sorry, Estelle-I couldn’t help but hear all the commotion, so I came here. I was wondering when you’d notice.”

“I noticed you about two minutes ago, to be honest,” Joshua said.

“Thanks for the heads up,” Estelle grumbled. She peered over her shoulder, squinting off into the distance. “Where’s Richard?”

“Still with Shin. He actually wished to speak with you soon, Cassius,” Schera added, gesturing to the Bright patriarch. “It seems he has some information regarding the events in the underground compound.”

Cassius nodded. He turned to Whis. “How soon is this exhibition, and how soon can you take us back?”

“Well...about that.” Whis glanced nervously towards Beerus. “There’s a reason we wanted to get you rested and fed so soon.”

Zin, mid-bite into some kind of tasty-looking bird dish, spoke up. “We’re going right into it, ain’t we?”

Whis scratched his chin, a sheepish grin on his face. “Precisely. Once everyone is finished, we’re to head to the battlegrounds immediately with our team representatives. While I’d like to take everyone, space is limited-ironic as that sounds”

Estelle let out a long, dramatic sigh. “There’s always a catch with free food.”

“Now, now,” Cassius chuckled. “I expected there to be at least some kind of introduction, if not necessarily a fight right away. Have you already picked which ones out of us will be the representatives?”

Whis nodded. “Indeed. Estelle, Joshua, and Olivier. Would you be so kind as to come over to me?”

Trying to ignore the shaking in her legs, Estelle walked to where Whis sat, flanked by Joshua. Sighing as he left his “post,” Olivier waltzed off to meet the trio. “If you don’t mind me asking, Whis,” Olivier began, “I don’t quite see an airship around here. Will you be taking us to the battlegrounds the same way you took us here?”

“A little bit of a faster method, but yes.” Whis tapped his staff, a circle forming underneath the four. “We’ll be back shortly, but in the meantime...Cassius?” The man stiffened, turning towards Whis with a fearful expression. “Please do entertain Lord Beerus. I’d hate for him to get too bored.”

Cassius nodded so hard, Estelle thought his head was due to fly clean off at any moment.

“Alright then. Away we go!”

Estelle closed her eyes. She could feel herself being pulled along, like when she and the others had first come to the world of the Kais, before slowly coming to a stop. When she opened them, a somewhat familiar sight awaited her: a large, open arena, surrounded by elevated benches and large pillars. Some of the benches were filled, with figures that looked refreshingly human, and others...not as much. She could make out a few of what she presumed to be the combatants sitting in some of the stands closest to the arena:

A group of figures dressed in nearly all-black, cloaked in masks.

A team that included a gigantic suit of armor, and a smaller figure in a blood-red cloak.

A pair of teenagers, not unlike Joshua or Estelle, decked out in the strangest gear she’d ever seen.

A veritable seven-person army, complete with a swordswoman, a spearman, and a bowman (to name a few).

Even more were teleporting in by the moment, crowding the stands in an instant. One thing was for sure-there were few smiles in the house, and the air itself felt oppressive. 

Estelle almost wished she was fighting the giant robot again.

“Well,” Olivier noted, breaking the ice, “This certainly looks to be an interesting get-together.”

“Understatement of the century,” Estelle sighed. 

“We can do this.” Joshua tightened his grip on his blades, still sheathed in their holsters. “All we have to do is win.”

“Right…” Estelle looked back over to the crowd. “No pressure, right?”

How she wished she believed her own words.

**Author's Note:**

> _Silhouette of yours_   
>  _Like a spear of light_   
>  _Fading away in the_   
>  _Shining sunlight_   
>  _Don't know where to go_   
>  _I'm lost and all alone_   
>  _With feelings falling like the morning dew_


End file.
